I haven't been here in awhile - life's been too busy.  We also set up a facebook group for communications w/Coop's b.mom so this webpage hasn't really been necessary.  So, I think I'll turn it into my own blog.  Not that anybody follows, but sometimes you just feel better when you get your thoughts out in the open.  :)   Here is what's been going on with me and my family over the past little while.

I have 3.5 weeks left of school and then I will FINALLY have my bachelor's degree.  It's been a long wait to begin it and I can't wait to have it accomplished!  It won't result in a pay increase and really has no effect on my current job whatsoever, but at least my degree won't prevent me from a new opportunity if one comes up.  And if not - oh well!  I'm perfectly happy where I am.  :)

Craig has been at a new job for a little over a year and it has tremendously helped his stress levels. He hasn't had one migraine since he's been there.  He's still doing youth ministry with his best friend at our church.  Speaking of youth ministry - while at a youth event this past summer Craig broke his ankle playing frisbee.  Luckily they didn't insist on casting it and let him continue to work, and he seems to be doing all right with it.

Coop was evaluated for speech therapy and qualifies to attend preschool 4 days a week and to have speech therapy while he's there - for free!  I think it'll be really good for him and I'm excited to see how he blossoms when he's able to make himself understood.

Gabe learned how to ride his bike without training wheels this summer - I never thought he would get there.  He's a big scaredy cat like me.  He is SO proud of himself.  He's also started taking hip-hop dance classes. He saw a group on America's Got Talent do a cool routine and insisted that he be taught how to dance like that.  :)

I've signed up to be a distributor for the It Works body wrap - the most amazing body product I've ever seen or personally used.  More to come on that later....... but I still can't believe it actually does what it says it does with such little effort

So Craig and I are both doing full time jobs and part-time jobs.  I'm hoping to pay down some debt (especially from going back to school) and create some financial freedom for us.   We need some wiggle room.

I think that's probably enough for now!

Those wily fitted sheets

I came to a realization today.

It was the realization that I will never win the battle against the dreaded fitted sheet.

Generations of women in my family have successfully bested it.  

This is how they look during the process

See?  They don't even have to look at it.

And this is the end result in all its perfection

And this is me.

(All of those people shaped bumps are me at some point in the process.)

And this is the glorious end result.

So, in order to maintain some semblance of order in the linen closet, my new strategy is to straight up hide my folding deficiency.  

Step One:  Neatly fold the flat sheet.

Step Two: Wad up the fitted sheet as seen above.

Step Three:  Place the wadded up sheet in the center of the folded one and neatly fold in half.  

Step Four: Place on shelf and hope no one ever notices.  

In the event that someone does notice, strongly consider lying and say the kids were helping with the laundry.  

assistance required

First the update - Gabe started school this week and he loves it. I'm very glad we decided to "red shirt" him and let him wait the extra year. It made a big difference. He is not intimidated by any of the new changes, and he's just been going with the flow. yay!

Now the problem. Cooper is the problem. More specifically Cooper and potty training. He does not want to. I've been taking it easy on him thinking when he's ready he'll let us know. But he's 2 and a half now and still in diapers. I've decided that this week since Gabe started school Cooper will be in intense potty training. And we have been aaaaall week. Every hour or half hour we're making a trip to the potty. If he doesn't go at the hour mark we wait a half hour and try again. I've also put him in regular underwear thinking that if he feels the mess more that it will help him. Well he just doesn't care either way. It doesn't bother him to be in a mess, he doesn't want to quit what he's doing to go potty. He just doesn't care. A couple times he's peed and then stopped to play in the puddle he made! Just now we went to the potty and he sat there for 10 minutes and did not pee, and then went directly to the living room, hid behind a curtain and peed. WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH HIM??!! I'm starting to get mad, and I know that's not going to help. So........ help....... please

nothing too exciting

Hello there! We were finally able to make it to Coop's MRI appointment at the end of last month. We had to reschedule a total of 4 times due to illnesses. So, we get there and Cooper is a teeny little rock star. He was so calm and good. He did not freak out or get upset during any part of the procedure (of course I stayed with him the WHOLE time) but he was so calm and well behaved that they didn't even need to put him all the way to sleep for the MRI. They only did stage 2 sedation, and that anesthesiologist said he had never been able to put a 2 year old in stage 2 sedation for an MRI. They were all so impressed with him. What a trooper. And I was relieved because the less sedation, the less risk. win win win! The neurologist said they actually found 2 cysts on the MRI but since they aren't affecting his development at all and since they have not changed in size that we don't need to follow up about it again. He said most people have these types of cysts and never even know they have them. I'm glad that's over and done with and that it's nothing to worry about. The only thing left to worry about is the bill. :)

sorry!

Sorry! It's been awhile since the last blog post.  Here is the latest update.
The boys are rotten as usual.  This never changes.  I'm finishing my bachelor's degree online, Craig just started a new job closer to home with a little higher pay (yay!), and we're hoping to get family pictures taken within the next month or so.  Cooper's MRI at Children's is also this week, so we'll be updating as soon as we get some info from that.
Until then here was the rundown from our Saturday.
It was a glorious family day!  We all slept in, then packed up and went to play at a new park about 15 minutes away, had a picnic, then came home.  The boys took naps, we had breakfast for dinner...... or "brinner", and then the boys played in their bouncy house in the backyard.  Then they found the hose and made themselves a mud puddle and played in it for awhile.  After that Daddy hosed them off and they hung up the bird house and feeder Daddy helped them build and paint the day before.  Then........... baths!  And I still managed to squeeze in a few loads of laundry into that day, some tv time with Craig, some homework, and a run!

Why God Made Moms

WHY GOD MADE MOMS 
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions: 


Why did God make mothers? 
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is. 
2. Mostly to clean the house. 
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born. 

How did God make mothers? 
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us. 
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring. 
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts. 

What ingredients are mothers made of? 
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the 
world and one dab of mean. 
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, 
I think. 

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom? 
1. We're related. 
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me. 

What kind of a little girl was your mom? 
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff. 
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy. 
3. They say she used to be nice. 

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him? 
1. His last name. 
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer? 
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores? 

Why did your mom marry your dad? 
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot 
2. She got too old to do anything else with him. 
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on. 

Who's the boss at your house? 
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball. 
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed. 
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad. 

What's the difference between moms and dads? 
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work. 
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them. 
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 
'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends. 
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.. 

What does your mom do in her spare time? 
1. Mothers don't do spare time. 
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long. 

What would it take to make your mom perfect? 
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of 
plastic surgery. 
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue. 

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be? 
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that. 
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me. 
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head. 

WHEN YOU STOP LAUGHING -- SEND IT ON TO OTHER MOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, AND AUNTS.... 
and anyone else who has anything to do with kids or just needs a good laugh!!! 

Happy Birthday!

Today was Cooper's 2nd birthday! Yay! I pulled his smiling little self out of bed this morning and remembered that morning 2 years ago when we were in the car driving up to meet him. And when I said "Happy birthday Cooper Reed!" it made me remember how we thought we had time to pick his middle name out, and were informed right before he was born that it had to be on all the official paperwork from that moment on, lol. I remembered how I was the first person that got to hold him on his very first birthday - a gift from his birthmother that I will never forget. I did a lot of remembering in that moment this morning. :) And I love that both of our boys have such special birthday stories. So different, but each just as wonderful.

He had a birthday party late this afternoon, with some family and family friends. My mom used skype so that she and my sister could watch him blow out his candles from 5 and half hours away. It was pretty cool.

Yes, the cake is store bought. I ran out of time and energy........... and the oven is broken. I put the candles on it though! It was actually pretty tasty. Anyway, he liked his cake and ice cream, and he liked his presents. He got a training potty, some clothes, some books, some of the bigger sized duplo legos (so he'll quit stealing Gabe's and scaring me), some color wonder paper and markers (which he took a break from opening presents to play with - he loves to color), he got some puzzles, and a train, and a monster truck.

AND.... drumroll please.......... he and Gabe got a bouncy castle from their great aunt! As you can imagine, it was a big hit at the party!

It was a gorgeous day to be outside, and we have tons of pictures, and Coop had a blast. We topped our day off with a walk in the stroller and an early bedtime. The only slightly bad thing I have to say about this day is................ I'm exhausted! But happy!

just an update

We are having a pj day today. We do this at least once a week. It's fun, saves laundry, and sets the tone for a lazy play-day at home and I love it. So do the boys.

Cooper has graduated to a booster seat at the table now. We kept him in the high chair as long as we could.... just because it was more convenient. But now he's much too big and wiggly for it. So, the high chair is officially in the garage awaiting the summer yard sale. I think this means he's officially not a baby. It's a little sad, but each stage as they grow is so much more fun than the last one, so we're not too sad. :)

I'm been offered the opportunity to go back to school to finish my bachelor's degree, and so I'm taking my first class starting in March. I'm very happy because it's all online, and I only have 13 classes to take. i've been wanting to finish that degree for 3 years!

That's all for now! :)

brothers

Today the boys and I went to the McDonald's playland so the kids could play and I could visit with a friend from out of town. They were so cute! Cooper kept getting himself up into the apparatus and getting upset because he didn't know which way to go. Every time, Gabe would climb up and help him out. He would coax him down and encourage him and hold him and it was the sweetest thing. And Gabe was so proud of himself too - he felt like a hero. We eventually had to leave because Cooper wouldn't quit hugging the other children. hahaha! That doesn't sound too bad, but when Cooper hugs people he does a bear hug and then pulls the kid down to the floor with him. As you can understand, this upset a couple of them. He was even following this one little girl around trying to hug her. So, to keep the peace we packed up and headed home. :) I know that I'm flat out biased, but these two boys are the most awesome kids a mom could have.

oh the joys of boys

Today Gabe ate so many Spaghetti-Os at lunch that he made himself sick.

Cooper was obviously bored after his nap today, so he grabbed some painting material from his diaper and went to town on himself and his crib.

Gabe's in the back-talking/disrespecting stage of his life, and Cooper's still stubborn as a mule. Life will never be dull in this household. :)

funny looks

We took Cooper to Children's for his pulmonologist consult today. Everything's fine, he's maintaining very well, and we'll wait and see what this winter brings for him. Hopefully he'll weather it just fine and we can try stopping the maintenance inhaler in the spring. If not, then we'll just keep him on it. No big deal. Back to my story, and the original reason for this post -

At the appointment, Craig took Cooper with the lady to be weighed and to get vitals while Gabe and I stayed in the exam room. This was the conversation:

"Are you Dad?"

"Yep."

"And is Mom in the exam room?"

"Yep."

Then he explains to me that the lady proceeds to give him the "Man, you must be stupid" look.

Craig just smiled and thought the situation was amusing, and decided that she didn't need an explanation.

He doesn't care what people think or say, or how they look at him. We are mom and dad. Period.

:)

Love my family!

Finally! Halloween Pics!

A Brother

As I was laying Gabe down for a nap we were talking about playing in the fall leaves later today. I mentioned that I would be taking lots of pictures so we could send some to Cooper's first mommy.

He asked if that was the one that kept him in her tummy until he was ready to come out and I said yes.

And I said I was very glad that Cooper was part of our family now.

Gabe says, "Me too, I am very glad to have a brother."

And I am very glad that he's very glad to have a brother! They melt my heart!

Tis the season

Gabe just got over strep throat. Now Cooper is sick...... again. His is all respiratory stuff............. again. Thank goodness his pulmonology consultation is next month. We're home sick today doing breathing treatments, inhaled steroids and oral steroids. Poor kid. He can't even run around without wheezing. At least now he's on a maintenance inhaler and some allergy meds. I think that will help a lot. We had planned on going up to mom and dad's this weekend. I was glad Gabe was on the mend, but I don't know if Coop will be well enough for us to go. I guess we'll just see how the next couple days goes. I am thanking God today that we're able to build up vacation time at work for situations like these. Praise God for good insurance and vacation time!

My first 5k EVER!

I think my time was somewhere around 36:49, but I'll have to check the official time when they get them submitted. That's not very fast at all, but I just don't care. I jogged the whole thing at a steady pace, so I am very happy with myself. I probably wouldn't have even known about it if my friend Dusty hadn't mentioned it. I'm glad we did it together!

Mom Guilt

Today I wonder - Why is there such a large amount of mom-guilt attached to everything?

If I work, and my children go to a sitter I feel guilty for not being at home. If I take an unpaid vacation day and stay with the boys I feel guilty for not contributing to the family finances. Some days I'm glad to be out of this house and around adults! And then of course I feel guilty about that too. I feel guilty when I take time for myself and go running, and I leave my husband with the kids. I know this is good for them, and I know this is good for me. But I still feel like I have taken something from them. I struggle with getting the regular tasks accomplished (laundry, lunches, general cleaning) and still finding time to have quality time with my children. They need me. They also need me to get all those other things done at some point. I worry that I discipline too much, that I say no too much, and then I feel guilty. I wonder if I'm not doing it enough and they'll grow up to be hellions........ and that would really make me feel guilty! A friend just wrote about what a tough decision it was for them to choose to bottle feed. We have all struggled with that problem too! And you know what, I bet guilt was part of the equation somewhere for all of us if we ended up choosing the bottle for our child.

I wonder if all moms struggle with this balance. Most moms do I think, we just try not to talk about it. I think this is because admitting some of these things that make us feel guilty feels like we have admitted mommy failure. No one wants to admit to mommy failure. I wonder if we hold standards that are too high. I also wonder if we put this pressure on each other. I think we might..... just a little bit. Do I worry about what another mom might think of me when I admit some of these things? Yes I do! Do I put a lot of the pressure on myself? Oh yes....... I do!

I think it comes with the territory of being a mom. But when did it become necessary in our culture to be everywhere, and be everything to everybody?

An Epiphany

I may have passed an adoption milestone. Let me elaborate. We are a "mixed" adoptive family. Our oldest son is our biological child and our youngest is adopted. We recently had a referral to a pediatric pulmonologist for our youngest son. It's possible he may have asthma. As I was driving home from that appointment, I began to mull it all over in my mind. My first thought was, this is no big deal for us. My husband is an asthmatic, and I'm a respiratory therapist. This is something we all understand and can handle. My second thought was, that it made sense that the baby might have asthma since my husband has it. I carried on with my thoughts until all of a sudden I had a reality check................ it does not make sense for the baby to have asthma because my husband does. They don't share the same genes!

So for a moment I felt stupid for my lapse. Being the worrier that I am I began to panic that I had forgotten where he came from, and that if I didn't make it part of our daily conversations that he wouldn't feel comfortable about his adoption. (not that I would forget that - I feel it's very important) But then I realized that this is the way I ought to be feeling about my son. The fact that he's adopted shouldn't identify him or his place in our family. And it doesn't.

This child feels as much a part of me and my husband as our biological child is. I think that's the way it should be. He is our child. Momentarily forgetting that he isn't our biological child is a completely natural thing!

And then I felt very much at peace. I think our family is exactly as it should be.

Our awesome new/old stuff!

Friends of ours just donated their large plastic playthingy to us. I don't know what it's actually called, but it does have a slide. It also has holes and slats in the side that they can climb on or through. When they brought it, they also brought a little green car which has provided hours of enjoyment for the boys. I find it funny that kids are always much more interested in old or used toys, or things that aren't toys at all, than they are in the new stuff. :o)

sorry!

This summer has sure been a busy one! I don't know if it's because there are two kids to keep track of now, or if it has just flown by because we've been running so much. I really had planned to send pictures before now. I even have a bunch of them just waiting, but I just ordered more, so I'm going to wait and send them all together.

We had a pretty good 4th of July! Here are a couple pics of all of us watching the fireworks. I love it that our driveway is a perfect viewing spot for the fireworks in our town! Cooper didn't seem afraid of them at all, which I had been a little concerned about because he slept right through them his first time around. :o) He did great this year. He just kept pointing at them and looking back at us like he wanted to make sure we were seeing it. He wasn't a big fan of the finale though, I think that part did get a little too loud for him. But, he was also tired, it was way past bedtime. Gabe had a blast. One of his buds came over and they played with those glowstick necklaces the whole time and ate ice cream. Sometimes I wish I was a kid again!